Weekends are out right now, so I decided to make use of the nice weather and go for an after work blast up Lochnagar.  I left work at 5.40pm, cycled to the car by the Bridge of Dee, and drove to the Spittal car park.  I left there at 7.10 on the bike, then realised when I got to the bridge that i'd forgotten a couple of things, so dumped the sack and went back.  Leaving the bike as the track got steeper, I plodded up onto the summit area, and got to the top of the Left Branch of Black Spout just before 9.  It was full of spring snow, as expected.  The run down was great, but i was at the end of the snow in 3 minutes in the corrie, level with the rescue box.  It was a bit of a slog up and over the col, but then a mixture of fast walking/jogging saw me back at the bike quickly, and back to the car by 10.25.

I saw one person, who was on their mountain bike low down, but apart from that, it was just me and my shadow, some grouse, mountain hares, and a peregrin.  While cycling through the woods and onto the track on the way down, I saw more deer than I have ever seen before in the one go.  There were all standing in the trees in the gloom - quite eerie.  Then on the track, there were dozens of them, all running parallel to the track while I was cycling along.  Quite a sight.

For those that have been missing the vomit inducing helmet cam videos, here's another one for you: